Mid-American Conference

MID-AMERICAN CONFERENCE ANNOUNCES WOMEN’S TENNIS PLAYER AND DOUBLES TEAM OF THE WEEK
 
MAC Women’s Singles Tennis Player of the Week
Miruna Vasilescu, Akron–Freshman, Ulm, Germany (Friedrichs)
Akron freshman Miruna Vasilescu helped the Zips to two crucial MAC wins over the weekend.  In Friday’s 4-3 win over Western Michigan, Vasilescu captured her first MAC win at the No. 1 position with a 6-4, 6-2 victory over Barbare Eristavi.  In Saturday’s 6-1 win at Northern Illinois, the freshman beat Thisuri Molligoda in straight sets, 6-3, 6-3. In singles action, Vasilescu is 16-4 overall, 4-2 in MAC play.
 
Additional Women’s Singles Nominees:
Marharita-Sophia Tavpash, Bowling Green–Sophomore, Lviv, Ukraine
Bowling Green sophomore Marharita-Sophia Tavpash earned a win in straight sets against Eastern Michigan with a 6-1, 6-4 score at No. 3 singles. Tavpash tallied her 11th singles win of the season and holds a record of 11-6 in her sophomore campaign, while her victory helped lift the Falcons to a narrow 4-3 win over the Eagles, where it all came down to the singles play. in earning the win against Eastern Michigan, the Falcons completed a successful 8-1 slate at home this season, while Tavpash tallied two wins between singles and doubles play.
 
Chantal Martinez Blanco, Buffalo – Junior, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Buffalo junior Chantal Martinez Blanco led the Bulls to a pair of wins this past weekend as Buffalo won their 10th straight match and remained undefeated in MAC play. Martinez Blanco played in both first singles and first doubles as she began by winning in straight sets against Thisuri Molligoda from Northern Illinois, 6-2, 7-5. On Sunday against Western Michigan, Martinez Blanco won in singles action as she capped off the 6-1 win by defeating Barbare Eristavi, 6-3, 5-7, 10-4. Martinez Blanco has won four in a row and eight of her last nine singles matches.
 
Emily Struble, Miami – Junior, Holt, Mich. (Okemos High School)
Miami junior Emily Struble defeated Eastern Michigan's Giuliana Ansaloni 6-4, 6-0 at third singles as RedHawks claimed the 5-2 victory on Friday, April 6.
 
Kokoro Chishaki, Toledo – Junior, Kashiwa, Japan (Sonoda Gakuen High School)
Toledo junior Kokoro Chishaki played lights out this weekend for the Rockets. Playing in the No. 4 singles spot, Chishaki swept Ayumi Sasaki in two sets (6-2, 6-3) and was the first off the courts against Bowling Green on Friday. She kept her dominating play going on Sunday against Ball State. The Kashiwa, Japan native again left the courts first after sweeping Isabelle Dohanics in two sets (6-3, 6-2) in the No. 4 spot. With this weekend’s victories, Chishaki has established a 13-4 singles record, a four-match winning streak, and hasn’t dropped a set since Toledo played Buffalo on March 23.
 
Melina Lyubomirova, Western Michigan – Junior, Sofia, Bulgaria (Emilian Staneu)
Western Michigan junior Melina Lyubomirova had a pair of victories at No. 2 this past weekend. She now holds the team’s longest active winning streak at seven and is tied for a team-high 16 total wins this season. Lyubomirova made quick work of her Akron opponent on Friday with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Rita Pedroso before defeating Buffalo’s Tanja Stojanovaska in three sets, after falling 6-1 in her first set.
 
 
MAC Women’s Tennis Doubles Team of the Week
Sidnay Huck, Toledo – Senior, Fort Wayne, Ind. (Home schooled)
Kokoro Chishaki, Toledo – Junior, Kashiwa, Japan (Sonoda Gakuen High School)

Toledo senior Sidnay Huck and junior Kokoro Chishaki at No. 1 doubles went 2-0 this weekend after winning competitions against Bowling Green and Ball State. The duo played a perfect 6-0 match on Friday against Bowling Green’s Paula Comella and Marharita Tavpash and was the first doubles team off the courts. Their win clinched the doubles point and helped Toledo win 5-2 over the Falcons. In Sunday’s match against Ball State, the doubles point came down to Huck and Chishaki. The Rockets had lost in No. 3 doubles but tied it up after winning the No. 2 match. The pair played a close 7-5 match to beat Audrey Berger and Rebecca Herrington, and again clinch the doubles point for Toledo. UT went on to win 5-2 over the Cardinals. Huck and Chishaki have won their last three doubles matches and are now 9-7 on the year.

Additional Women’s Doubles Nominees:
Carli Knezevich, Akron–Senior, Austin, Texas (Lake Travis High School)
Miruna Vasilescu, Akron–Freshman, Ulm, Germany (Friedrichs)
 
Akron senior Carli Knezevich and freshman Miruna Vasilescu helped the Zips to two crucial wins in MAC play over the weekend. In the 4-3 victory over Western Michigan, Knezevich and Vasilescu beat Denise Azcui and Jeryn Jack at No. 2 doubles, 6-4. In the 6-1 win at Northern Illinois, the No. 2 duo claimed a 6-4 win over Maria Potsi and Lara Slisko. This spring in double action, Knezevich and Vasilescu stand 3-2 overall, including a perfect 2-0 in MAC play.
 
Marharita-Sophia Tavpash, Bowling Green–Sophomore, Lviv, Ukraine
Paula Comella, Bowling Green–Junior, Ciutadella de Menorca, Spain
 
Bowling Green sophomore Marharita-Sophia Tavpash and junior Paula Comella led the Falcons to win the doubles point with victories on courts No. 2 and 3. After a strong 4-1 start against the Eagles, the pairing of junior Paula Comella and sophomore Marharita-Sophia Tavpash earned its 13th win on the year, for an improved overall record of 13-5 against their opponents. The doubles point was critical as the team’s played to a 4-3 Bowling Green victory, making the point decisive for the match.
 
Tanja Stojanovska, Buffalo – Senior, Ohrid, Macedonia
Anna Savchenko, Buffalo – Sophomore, Limassol, Cyprus

Buffalo senior Tanja Stojanovska and sophomore Anna Savchenko won their two matches in double play this past week as the Bulls remained undefeated in MAC play. They opened on Friday with a 6-4 win at second doubles against Maria Potsi and Lara Slisko of Northern Illinois and followed that up on Sunday afternoon by defeating Denise Azcui and Jeryn Jack of Western Michigan, 6-2.  Savchenko and Stojanovksa have won four straight and five of their last six.

Nelli Ponomareva, Miami – Senior, Krasnodar, Russia
Anastasiia Vasiukhina, Miami – Senior, Moscow, Russia

Miami senior Nelli Ponomareva and senior Anastasiia Vasiukhina defeated Eastern Michigan's Gogvadze/Mayerova 6-1 at first doubles on Friday, April 6.